Until My Last Breath
by WhisperingMockingJay
Summary: Cassia Mellark never thought the games would return. She never thought she would have to fight against her little brother. She never thought she'd turn into a warrior. But when Cassia and her brother are thrown into the Arena for revenge, she must do whatever she can to keep them both alive- including adapting to life as a killer... Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I crouched down and loaded my bow, aiming straight for the squirrel I could see in the tree above me. Waiting until the last second, I released the arrow and watched as it sailed straight through the air and pierced the squirrel straight through the heart. I walked over and picked up the small creature before turning to my younger brother.

"You happy?" I asked, throwing the dead animal at him. He was two years younger than me but somehow still seemed to think he was much better than me at everything.

"Yep," he grinned, picking up his bag and throwing me my jacket.

Aiden was 15 years old and at the stage in life where he wanted to be much better than his big sister. He looked a lot like my dad. Same blonde hair, same build. The only difference was his grey eyes that he had taken from my mum. Though, instead of my mother's fire- which he was named for- his eyes contained my father's kindness.

I slung the bow over my shoulder and sighed. There was no need for animals to be killed now. Since the revolution, things had gotten better and none of the districts went hungry. I felt bad for killing a defenceless creature- especially when there was no good reason for it. Aiden had always said I'd be an amazing hunter if I didn't feel the guilt afterwards.

"Cassia! We're going to be late! Stop moping!" Aiden shouted from a little bit in front of me. I rolled my eyes. He was exactly like my dad- he too would be terrified to be late to dinner with my mum.

I jogged up to him, flicking my brown hair over my shoulder as we reached the edge of the forest. The fence that had once held my mother into District 12 was gone, but hardly anyone went into the forest. The fence may have been gone, but the creatures that lived there were not.

Together we jogged the rest of the way to our house. The large building was in Victor's Village; our only neighbour was Haymitch who was more like a lodger in our own home.

"Where have you been?" Dad asked as we tumbled through the back door into the kitchen. "You're mother's going mad! She told you not to go hunting today!" he said looking pointedly at the squirrel my brother still clutched in his hand.

"It was his fault!" I said, pointing at my brother who was scowling at me. "He said I couldn't shoot down a squirrel from a distance!"

My dad just laughed at messed my hair. "Well, dinner's ready." He smiled.

Taking on my mother was a different story. After 15 minutes of ranting we were allowed to sit down for a family meal. Little did I know it would be the last…

It was a Saturday. But no normal Saturday. It was the anniversary of the last reaping of the Hunger Games. Once every year, the whole district fell silent to honour those who had died in the Arena.

My mum and I sat in the living room. I was drawing in a sketch pad and my mum was attempting to read a book, though every few seconds her eyes would dart to the picture I was drawing on the page.

Both me and my brother had inherited my father's artistic talent. My brother was amazing at any form of art and could sit and do it for hours. I, on the other hand, often got bored within a few minutes meaning that my bedroom was littered with half-finished drawings. So when I did start to draw, my parents would encourage me to work at it and finish it. 'Better that than hunting!' my dad had said.

My brother and dad where at the bakery. A few years before I had been born, my dad had decided to re-open his family's bakery. Now almost everyone in the District could afford the treats supplied there or if they couldn't, my dad would give it to them for free- it wasn't like we needed the money.

I completed the outline of my picture- a pond with a large willow tree hanging over it. I turned it towards my mum and she smiled at me. "Now you just have to colour it and I'll have something to hang up on my wall!". I wrinkled my nose- I wasn't finished yet.

I stood up and stretched and was just about to go and get my pencils when I heard something in the kitchen. It sounded like someone climbing in the window then crashing into the table. They made no efforts to cover their sounds and that worried me- they weren't scared of being discovered.

My mum stood up and I edged towards my bow and arrow that was lying at the base of the fireplace. My mum had picked up another bow which had been hanging on the wall and I threw her an arrow. Just as she loaded it, three men stepped into the room.

All of them were wearing black outfits that reminded me of the ones worn by the Capitol during the revolution. Each of them carried a gun and none of them so much as flinched at me and my mother's position.

"Cassia Mellark. Come with us. Now." Said the man in front. He was at least six feet tall and when he stepped towards me, I was forced to act.

"Stay back! I'll shoot!" I said, completely honestly. I wasn't scared if sending an arrow straight through the intruder's heart.

I saw another man edge into the room and head towards my mother. I started to panic a little. We couldn't keep our arrows trained on four people. It made me consider not doing anything, just going with them.

It's amazing how one moment can change a rational decision into a very irrational one.

A fifth man came into the room through the door behind my mother. She couldn't see him and the other men seemed to be more concerned with her than me. The fifth man raised his gun and pointed it at her head. I saw his finger tense on the trigger and at the same moment released my arrow. It flew straight through the air and deep into his chest. With a gasp of shock and pain he fell to the ground. I don't know whether he died or not, I had bigger problems.

When I had released my arrow, my mother had released her own. We had gotten rid of two men, but more poured in and now my mum had no arrow.

I hesitated- the worst decision of my life.

The man who had spoken originally, pointed his gun at my mums head. As he did so, every other man in the room also did.

"Drop your weapon, or I put a bullet through your mothers head." He spoke calmly, in a soft and dangerous voice and I had no doubt he would not hesitate to kill her.

I dropped the bow and the sheath of arrows at my feet and put my hands in the air in defeat. My mum was glaring at the men with fury, but in her eyes I also saw fear.

Another man stepped towards me and tied my hands behind my back with rope. Then the first man walked over to me and grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me out of the house.

I kicked and screamed and twisted, but I couldn't get lose. Every time I tried to free myself my captor would laugh and twist my hair harder. I gave up- we weren't leaving the District yet so there was no point in panicking.

I was taken to the Square. In front of the justice building was a makeshift stage and assembled in front of it were the people of District 12, looking scared and upset.

I was dragged onto the stage and pushed to the front. I saw my mum running out into the square, her eyes frantic with worry.

Across the other side of the square my father and brother were being dragged out of the bakers. My brother was brought up onto the stage next to me, my father kicked down at my mother's feet.

The man who had originally grabbed me walked forward to a microphone.

"Thank you all for gathering here today. To explain, I invite to the stage Miss Effie Trinket!"

Effie, my almost-aunt Effie, walked onto the stage in her usual over the top clothes. But her usual confidence was gone and I saw a gun was trained at her head. She wasn't here because she wanted to be.

"Welcome, welcome to the 76th annual Hunger Games." She said, her voice shaking from fear and pain. My heart stopped. If me and my brother were on the stage that meant that…

"Our tributes: Aiden and Cassia Mellark!"

A/N- Hi! So thanks for reading! This chapter's been a bit slow, but I promise after this it gets much better I would love to hear what you think, so please review! Next chapter up very soon!


	2. Chapter 2

The crowd was silent with shock as me and Aiden were dragged away. Unlike in the previous games, we were not taken into the Justice Building- we were led straight to a waiting hover craft. Behind us, our parents were kicking and screaming for us, but there was nothing we could do.

Once we were loaded into the aircraft, we were thrown-still tied- into a room which was empty apart from a thin grey blanket lying on the floor. The second the door closed, I scrambled across the floor to my brother.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"I'm fine. We'll be fine."

I seemed to forget sometimes that my brother was fifteen, not five. He could handle this- or at least he could handle it as well as me.

I fell back and leaned against the wall. My arms were aching from being pulled behind my back and the rope was burning my wrists.

"Where do you think they're taking us?" Aiden asked, crawling over and sitting next to me.

"The Capitol? Maybe somewhere else? I'm not sure."

I imagined it would be the Capitol. Surely they would have to go there if they wanted this to be like the real games?

We sat in silence most of the journey. Occasionally, we stopped and heard more people being dragged on board but then the silence would resume again.

Eventually we landed and I heard a key turn in the lock. I looked at Aiden and quickly whispered in his ear:

"They might separate us. I don't know what's going to happen. But just stay calm and focuses and use your brain. You're like dad- you'll manage it."

At that point a guard came into the room and walked straight toward me. He pulled me up roughly and began to drag me from the room. "Love you!" I shouted over his shoulder as Aiden disappeared from sight.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded.

"You didn't think we wouldn't do this properly did you? We're going to the remake centre, where you will be prepared for the parade."

Despite my questions, he dragged me the rest of the way in silence. This gave me time to contemplate.

If they were taking us to the remake centre and we were going to be paraded, that must mean we would get the three days training. I could learn how to fight and how to hide. I could save me and Aiden. I could…

I stopped. Wishful thinking would get me nowhere. I would take one thing at a time and make my little brother my priority.

We arrived at the remake centre and once again I was thrown into a room. This room was different. It looked like the room of a stylist. It had a table in the centre and a couch off to one side. There were bottles of different lotions and many tools that worried me to look at.

I had just sat down on the couch, when three people walked in that I vaguely recognised. All of whom, looked terrified and had metal collar looking things round their necks.

They all wore clothes that were obviously in style for the Capitol. The first woman had dyed her skin green and her long auburn hair contrasted with it in a nice but odd way. The second woman was angular and had golden tattoos above her eyebrows and aqua hair spiked at all angles. The third was a man with orange corkscrew curls and purple lipstick. All of them were older than fifty.

"We're your prep team." The woman with aqua hair said without looking at me. They moved closer and stood before me, waiting for me to move.

"You need to take off your clothes," the green woman said softly, tears sparkling in her eyes.

I obeyed without really thinking, my mind to preoccupied. How come I recognised these people?

They were half way through my prep when I suddenly sat bolt right up.

"You were my mums prep team!" I shouted.

All three of them looked at me with fear, pity and shame.

"Why are you here? I thought you were friends with her?" I demanded.

"Please. It will all be explained later. Just let us do our job." Flavius (the man) looked at me with desperate eyes and I obeyed, promising myself I would find out what was going on.

After what seemed like decades, another man entered the room. Immediately the prep team left and I was alone with the man.

He couldn't have been older than thirty and the only thing 'Capitol' about him was his subtle golden eyeliner. He looked like Cinna (my mum's old stylist) a lot. But he couldn't be. He was dead.

"Cinna?" I asked as he circled me. He was wearing the same collar as the prep team.

He stopped in front of me and handed me a robe.

"No. I'm his nephew- Ash." He stuck out a hand and I shook it. There was a pattern here- I just hadn't hit it yet.

"Cassia Mellark." I said.

"I know who you are," he replied, a light smile on his lips.

"Why am I here? Why are you here?"

"We are both here so that revenge may be taken against those who rebelled against the Capitol. You- to be slaughtered in the games. And me- to follow in my Uncle's footsteps and eventually be murdered." He spoke so calmly and with so much acceptance that for the first time since the men walked into my house I was actually scared.

"So we're all going to die?" I asked, feeling tears slipping down my cheeks as I thought of my family.

"Maybe," he responded, "But if we do, it will be with style and dignity!"

And that was the last he spoke of it.

I had not been allowed to see myself in a mirror. My hair, makeup and body had all been 'made beautiful' and now Ash was here to finish the job.

First he walked behind me and began doing something with my hair. When he was done, he picked up a small back of make-up and completes my face.

Finally, he walked out of the room and re-appeared with a dress bag.

"I know these circumstances are horrific- but I hope you'll like the outfit." He smiled, before blindfolding me.

I stood perfectly still as he arranged the fabric around my body and fixed my hair. When he removed the blindfold, a mirror had appeared in front of me and I gasped in shock and amazement at what I saw.

My dark hair had been highlighted with red, so that in the breeze it looked almost like it was glowing. My make-up was subtle. Light gold and greens on my eyes and a small pattern of flames in gold next to my right temple. My costume was amazing. The green dress floated to the ground, elegantly. On the left side, a split ran up all the way to my thigh, revealing more of the golden fire. Every inch of the dress was covered in different medicinal plants, but not so many it looked crowded. Ash had captured our District perfectly.

"What do you think? I wanted to show your District's industry, but I also wanted to show that you are the 'Girl on Fire' s daughter. Hence the red in your hair and the flames…" He started to ramble on.

I cut him off. "It's beautiful! And under any other circumstances I would love it."

"I didn't want you to look weak. You look defiant and strong now," he smiled.

"Thank you."

A few moments later, we were led out into the area where the chariots waited. The second I saw my brother, I had him in my arms.

His suit was the same style as my dress, but I saw no tattoos on his body. I assumed they were going for 'The Girl on Fire' not the boy.

As we waited for the procession to begin, a guard walked over to us. I could see one with every pair of tributes but not what they were doing.

The man said nothing, just clipped collars round our necks identical to the ones on Ash and the prep team.

The second he left, Ash ran over and helped us onto our chariot. "Don't do anything stupid, or it will zap you," he said, gesturing to the collar. "Just smile and wave and look strong."

And without another word, the chariots began to move…

**A/N- So what did you think? The chapter was quite slow, but I wanted to start building the story up. I promise much more action in the next chapter, which will be at the training centre…**

**Please Review! Next chapter up soon **


	3. Chapter 3

The chariots moved slowly out of the remake centre and out in front of the crowds of Capitol citizens. I plastered a false smile on my face and gripped Aiden's hand, determined not to fall. As I looked out it seemed to me that no one looked particularly happy. The cheers of the crowds sounded forced and fear was on most of their faces. I wondered if maybe it wasn't only the districts that were afraid of the Hunger Games.

I could feel Aiden's hand shaking as we entered the circle in front of the training centre. All of the chariots pulled up, facing the building where President Paylor would usually stand. Instead, in her place stood a man with dark hair and dark eyes. It was easy to see he was the leader of the rebellion- even the way he stood showed power.

I wondered where Paylor was, if she was dead or captured. Even though it didn't matter, I couldn't help but worry for her.

The man made a speech that I didn't listen to and then we were taken inside the training centre. The minute the chariots stopped moving Ash was at my side, helping me down and steadying me when I stumbled into him.

A guard began to walk towards us and I grabbed Aiden, pulling him towards me- they would not take him away from me.

"It's okay," Ash whispered in my ear "You get to stay together."

I exhaled a sigh of release and let go of my little brother. The guard wordlessly removed our collars and replaced them with similar things which went around our ankles.

The moment he was gone, Ash (and my brother's stylist) led us towards the lifts and pushed the button which said 12. I got a glimpse of the other tributes' frightened faces and then we were flying upwards.

The lift came to a stop and the doors slid open. A small gasp escaped my mouth at the sight of the luxury apartment in front of us.

The doors had opened into what I assumed was the living room. A plush white carpet spread across the floor and large couches made of gold material faced a screen hanging on the wall. There was almost too much for my eyes to take in. In my lifetime, District 12 had never been poor but no one could afford anything like this.

My brother was in a similar state of awe at the luxuries surrounding us. Ash began to speak, offering us food, but my mind was blank. So much was happening and I was really this amazed by furniture? It made me a little sick that despite everything the Capitol still had this hold on everyone.

Time slipped by slowly after that. I ate food without tasting it and I was led to bed, not even noticing the view I got from my window or the softness of the pillows in the bed.

I woke up the next morning calmer than I thought I would be. This would be my chance- I could learn the skills I needed to save me and my brother. As I lay in bed waiting to fully awaken I remembered flashes of conversations that I thought I hadn't even heard. My heart sank as I thought about it- instead of three days of training; we would get one and then a slot the next day for our individual sessions. _One day_ to learn all the skills to survive.

"Cassia? Are you awake? Hana says we have to go."

I looked round and saw Aiden standing in the doorway, dressed an all-black outfit that he would obviously be able to move easily in. I smiled at him and jumped out of bed.

Ten minutes later, we were standing in the training centre in a room full of different areas designed for different purposes. I could already see the sections I was going to run to first- the essential life skills, not the weapons.

A trainer was talking to all of the tributes but I couldn't bring myself to listen. Instead I studied each of the faces of the tributes, trying to work out who was strong and who was weak.

Many of the faces were familiar to me and I realised that most of them had had parents in the same games as my own parents or had been part of the rebellion.

It wasn't until Aiden jerked my hand that I realised that everyone had dispersed, running off towards the different sections.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, eyeing up the swords. Amazingly the station was empty and I pushed him towards it. He needed to learn how to fight.

I watched as he walked towards the trainer, speak to him briefly and then pick up one of the weapons. I turned away as he took his first swing- I couldn't bear to watch him turn into a fighter.

I already had enough skill with a bow and I was pretty capable at handling a sword as well. When I was younger, me and my dad would use sticks and pretend to be pirates. In later years I had realised that my skills with the stick could be used with a sword. There were other weapons I could use in an emergency in the arena- daggers and axes which didn't take much precision at close range, only strength. I would have to avoid 'throwing' weapons. Despite my skill with a bow and arrow, I was useless at accurate aiming with anything else.

I walked towards the snares station. I knew it would be the one thing my mother would tell me to do- learn how to get food. When I was younger she had taught me the basics, but not enough to catch anything worthwhile in.

I spent a chunk of time with the trainer there, until I was capable of making the most effective snares. Even the trainer was impressed. I spent the rest of the day flitting between stations, desperate to learn enough to survive. Camouflage, knot tying, identifying edible foods and more. By the time the day ended I was exhausted but proud- I had mastered at least enough skills to survive.

Aiden had spent most of his time at the weapons' stations, and only a little at the other ones. I berated him a little, but in reality it didn't matter- I didn't intend to lose him in the arena and if I knew it, he didn't need to.

Dinner that night was quite. Ash and Aiden's stylist, whose name turned out to be Flora, asked us how everything had gone. I realised that though Effie had been the one to announce the Games, she was not here as our escort. It made me think about the gun pointed at her head, and I worried about what they had done to her. It also made me respect the stylists a lot more- they were acting as out stylists, mentors and escorts all in one.

I looked at the smiling faces of the two brave people across from us- "you know you're going to die," I thought, "Yet you still help us as much as you can."

Maybe there was a chance we would all survive this. Not for me, but for Ash and Flora and Aiden and the tributes forced to fight and die for revenge. Maybe we could prove that revenge never works….

A/N- Hi! So, what do you think? Next chapter will be the private sessions and the interviews… Please, review- I'd love to hear what you think :)


End file.
